1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for controlling display of a user interface screen used for setting print settings of a printer driver which generates print data sent to a printing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printer drivers provide user interface used for setting print settings. Some user interface has a preview function. By using the preview function, users can display a preview of the print settings that visualizes the print settings as an abstract image. When a print setting preview window is displayed, a rectangular region that represents paper corresponding to output paper size selected by the print setting is displayed, and the user can confirm the print result before printing the data. At that time, the size or the aspect ratio of an image prepared in advance (original image) is adjusted by the printer driver so that the image matches the rectangular region that represents the selected output paper size.
Conventionally, various methods are used for changing an original image into an image of a different size or with a different aspect ratio. Such methods are, for example, cropping of the original image, enlargement/reduction of the original image, and a combination of cropping and enlargement/reduction of the original image. When the cropping is performed, if the original image is larger than its output region, the portion that protrudes outside of the output region is deleted or made invisible while the scale of the original image is maintained. Among the cropping methods, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-023544 discusses a method that matches a main component (hereinafter referred to as a main object) of the original image and the center of the output region as much as possible.
When the enlargement/reduction is performed, the original image is enlarged or reduced in the horizontal or the vertical direction so that the image fits in the output region and then output the enlarged or reduced image as it is. Further, when the combination of the cropping and the enlargement/reduction is performed, the original image is enlarged or reduced such that at least one side of the original image matches one side of the output region and another side of the original image matches the corresponding side of the output region or extends off the output region. Then the portion of the original image that extends off the output region is deleted or made invisible (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-046763).
However, according to the above-described conventional image size adjustment method, legibility of the entire image or the main object may be reduced due to removal of a portion of the main object of the original image, unnecessary reduction of the original image, or excessive modification.
For example, according to the simple cropping, if the output region is smaller than the main object of the original image, even if the center of the main object and the center of the output region overlap one another, a portion of the main object will be removed. Further, according to the combination method of the cropping and the enlargement/reduction, if the longer side of the output region is shorter than the corresponding side of the original image, the original image will always be reduced. Thus, even if the size of the original image is small enough that it fits in the output region, the original image is always reduced. Further, if the original image is separately enlarged or reduced in the horizontal or vertical direction, the original image may be excessively modified depending on the aspect ratio. In other words, either of the above-described methods may produce a removed image portion, an unnecessarily reduced image, or excessive modification.
When the conventional image adjustment method is applied to the print setting preview display of the printer driver, possibility of the following problems may be raised. For example, depending on the selected size of the output paper, a removed portion of the main object, an unnecessarily reduced image, or excessive modification of the original image may appear on the print setting preview display. Then, the user might misinterpret the preview and think that such an image will be printed on the paper.